With Confidence
by Lione 'Tabuukilla' Fortuna
Summary: As Noire takes to the stage in her final concert, her producer recalls their arduous journey. Beginning from being nothing but a fake producer paired with a girl who couldn't be honest with herself, he remembers what every step along the way was like. As he begins to vanish, he only has one request to God, to the CPUs, to whoever is listening: let me keep these memories of you.
1. Chapter 1

**I really hate when I can't get ideas out of my head.**

* * *

"Alright everyone, let's go out on a high note tonight!"

The air is tense with anxiousness and excitement from the booth. Sound engineers are double checking that all of the speakers are good and that the microphones are all adjusted. Lighting staff are seeing to all of the spotlights and effects for the concert. The camera crew explodes into a frenzy, trying to decide what shots to use as this broadcast goes out to the world of Gameindustri.

I'm handed my usual grey headset that I slip on as I walk up to the glass pane that separates us from the concert venue. Down below, hundreds of thousands of fans are screaming, chanting Noire's name as they wave their glowsticks around. An endless sea of silver and blue, all pulsating, moving, shaking to the looping piano arrangement of Noire's first single, a fitting ode to the end of this journey.

Her fans' united voices cause the room to feel like it's shaking just a bit. This'll be the last time they see this, after all, a once in a lifetime exclusive event.

"Sound team is all set!"

"Camera team is reporting ready!"

"Lights are ready, sir!"

"Effects team, standing by!"

"Thanks." I say before pushing on the unmute button. "You're all set from up here, Noire."

"_Got it." _

"Nervous?" I ask, digging around the pockets of my navy blue sports jacket, looking for a piece of gum.

"_Do _you _want to be the one down here?"_

"Count me out. Few minutes until eight o'clock."

"_I know, I'm counting down every second."_

"You'll do well. This isn't anything major for you, after all. Just a walk in the park. Hey, I'll put you on speaker as well, so everyone in the booth can hear you." I then gesture to someone on the sound staff, who pushes a few buttons. "Alright, you're on air with everyone in the booth."

"_Okay. Hey everyone, thanks for making it!"_

"No problem, our little Spring Sunrise!" They call back with her "idol title" of sorts, getting a few laughs. "Oh, hey boss!"

I turn to face some of the sound crew, who have been with us since the start of all this. "What is it?"

"Can you do the whole pose and speech thing that you did at the first concert again?"

"You gotta be kidding me." I say, facepalming. "You guys _still _remember that?"

"_Wait, he gave a pose and speech? When was this?!"_ Noire's voice calls over the intercom. I feel like this was a mistake, now.

"Oh, it was during the first concert!"

"Look, there were what, four hundred people there, and not everyone was convinced you were going to make it big, Noire! I had to give a speech to inspire people to try their best!" I grumble, shaking my head. "I can't believe you guys would bring it up now!"

"I mean, it's her last concert, right? Let's end it the way we started."

"No. Absolutely not."

"_Hmmm, I don't think I can get on stage if I don't hear it. And I won't be able to get up on stage if someone isn't recording it with their phone…"_

"Noiiiire!"

A hearty and healthy laugh is had at my expense, loosening up the very tense atmosphere up here in the booth.

"Don't worry, Lady Noire, we got it handled! Phones out, everyone! Come on, boss!"

"I hate you people sometimes, you know that?" I say, putting my left hand on my hip.

"Come on, the speech, the pose!"

I sigh, stepping into the center of the booth. With that, despite how silly I look, I throw my right fist into the air and hold my left fist just above my chest.

"Alright everyone, listen up! I don't know how it's going to turn out today, but I know it's riding on all of your shoulders! They might give us the cold shoulder, but if we really put our minds to it, our little Spring Sunrise's going to herald a nice daybreak to warm up their hearts! But I need you all doing your part. Miracles don't come around just by wishing, they come around because everyone's putting their best foot forward! I'm not asking you to change your lives, but what I am asking is for your best, just for all of ten minutes, so we can make a difference in someone's life today. Who's with me?!"

I pause, after that, before going back to my usual relaxed pose with my hands in the pockets of my tan khakis as cheers-or-jeers erupt alongside applause and fake tearing up reactions. It wasn't a particularly moving speech, but back then it was what they needed to hear.

"I hate you people. You're all fired after this."

Though, I can't get rid of the smile on my face despite all the hoop-and-hollering around the booth.

"_You seriously said that during my first concert?"_

"That wasn't all of it, but that's all I can remember. Besides, I was trying to be inspirational, okay?" I pause, hearing Noire giggling over the mic. "Alright, everyone shut up, we got a concert to put on in five. Thank you, good night, no one talk to me until we're done, and someone get me a cold beer."

The tension all fades away after that, as we're now all relaxed. The first and last concert, huh? It's been a long road.

The seconds go by, each one more thunderous than the last. All of it, building up to the first notes of Noire's retirement concert.

"Alright everyone, look alive! Here we go!"

The music, the lights, the cameras all swell up, preparing for one final spectacle. The chants of "NO-IRE! NO-IRE! NO-IRE!" intensify with every passing moment as everyone realizes that the lights moving means the shows is about to start. The piano fades away, becoming replaced with the electric guitar and drums everyone's familiar with. On the stage, the lights turn cold with snowflake patterns, with the effects team raining down an artificial snow for Noire to melt away with her presence.

I glance down at my left hand, which fizzles and sparkles for just a second, turning translucent every now and then before solidifying. Just a little longer, please. Goddesses, ancient CPUs, God himself, whoever is listening—for a little while, please don't take this away from me, let me see it through to the end. After all...

"_Don't worry, I will get there soon enough—"_

...I'll be going back, soon enough. With nothing more than my memories of you...

* * *

**Memory 1: **A Chance Encounter

* * *

"You work fast."

"Well, under your sister's watchful eye, I don't have much of a choice." I say, neatly putting another packet of papers on top of the stack on my left. "There's a lot for you to sign off on."

"...it's been _a _day. You were _just_ summoned here."

"This is my fastest ticket home, so I thought I'd put in a bit of effort."

"Geez, do you not like it here or something? I get that you're new to Lastation, but I've never seen someone so eager to get out. You were the one who picked me, you know?"

"Well, it's as you said. You summoned me from another world, to which I am taking it surprisingly well. Regardless, I have no idea what the passage of time is in relation to here. In fact, I could wake up tomorrow here and be unknowingly marked as legally dead back home if say, three weeks passed. I'd like to minimize the chances of that."

"That's… true. But you should have a little more faith. I, Noire, the goddess of Lastation, guarantee that to you, Takeo."

"If your sister, Uni, could have a little more faith in me, that'd be appreciated as well." I say, still not looking up from the next form, which is a draft of a marketing budget.

"It didn't help you told her you aren't actually an idol producer."

"It would be less harmful than being outed as a liar later." I say, circling several numbers and underlying others. "But like I said to her as well, I might not be an idol producer by trade, but I was studying marketing before I was yanked off. Besides, for you most of this is going to just be scheduling." I pause, lifting my right hand that's holding a black pen and spinning it around. "Since you're the goddess of this land, it's not like it's hard for you to make a splash."

"I'd be a lot more confident if you'd at least say that to my face."

"I'm busy."

"Just don't forget what your job is." She says with a bit of a pointed tone.

"I know, it's to make you a star. Don't worry, if that's my ticket back home, I'll give it everything I have."

They, the four goddesses which includes Noire, apparently pooled all of their "Shares", a measure of people's belief in them, and summoned me to help produce them into idols, or at least one of them into an idol, as all of their shares are currently being sucked away by some idol group called MOB48. It's possible to send me back, but the best way to do that safely and surely is to get them their shares back so they can perform the same thing but in reverse. What a time to be alive.

I originally chose her since I felt she was the most easily marketable of the bunch, being able to appeal to a wide variety of people. Although, she is somewhat prickly and doubly so for her sister. I get the feeling they're "tolerating" me for now, but one misstep and I'll be out the door.

"Although, can you clarify something with your sister?"

"She has a name." Noire says back rather pointedly.

"Then, can you clarify something with Uni?" I say, not missing a beat as I continue to read over some forms.

I hear some ruffling cloth, likely her crossing her arms. "I don't know what you'd like to clarify, but sure?"

"Can you take back when you told her you felt a special bond with me?"

"Why…?"

"Well, you know how it is. Guy summoned to a new world, girl feels a special bond with him, have you read that kind of genre before? You know how it turns out."

"How it tur…" I hear her trail off, likely putting the pieces together in her mind. I brace myself for the inevitable screech. "It won't be like that, it _absolutely _won't!"

"Then, I think the best idea is for you to clarify that with your sister." I say, clicking my pen twice. "She seems very protective of you and while I think we can all work together, I'd rather not be under her watchful eye. Or at least, in the context of 'this guy might be trying to hit on my sister'. I pity your boyfriend, by the way, and so it serves a double purpose since I'd rather not deal with the fallout of him getting the wrong idea."

"I…!" Her voice starts off strong, but sputters after getting the first word in. "Y-yeah, well, you don't need to pity or worry about um… anyone."

...oh.

I quietly put down my pen and get out of my chair, facing Noire. She clearly hears the creaking of the floorboards, looking up at me. I give a small, respectful bow.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such a heavy topic like that. I'll try to tread a little more carefully, but I assume that someone like you would no doubt have a significant other. It's a hollow apology, but you sounded legitimately hurt after such a remark. If there is anything I can do if that apology isn't enough, please inform me straight away."

"You… got out of your chair."

I sit back down, adjusting the navy blue sports jacket I have on. "Well, when apologizing like that, I think it wouldn't be as right if I stayed seated. That, and when apologizing, I think it's important to say it to a person's face. Besides, I plan to sleep on the bed, of course I was going to get out of my chair."

"You know what I meant!"

"Anyways, it would be appreciated if you could clear the air with Uni. I doubt she'll believe it coming from me, but if you're the one who tells her you didn't mean anything by it, I'm sure she'll believe you." I say, getting back to work, deciding to not mention anything about why I thought she already had someone.

"Right… well, make sure you get to sleep tomorrow. Oh, and I'm planning on announcing that I'm becoming an idol tomorrow as well on my weekly Noirestation appearance."

Noirestation…? Sounds like some kind of TV program, I assume.

"What? Hold on a second." I say, turning around in my chair to face her. "Do you even have a song ready? A recording studio and set up? The background music to go with it?"

"We have to get the word out there, right?" She asks, putting her right hand on her hip.

"There's no point if you're not ready! We'd have a better time if we can say something like, 'My first single will be released in two weeks', as we can begin something like a debut countdown. We can then time and schedule interviews to build hype for your song's drop. If we just announce 'Hello, I'm becoming an idol, too', it'll go nowhere and it'll be yesterday's news the next day without anything to look forward to."

"But the others—"

"May get the edge in, sure. It's highly likely that they're going to announce something similar to get ahead of the curve, as based on your conversation with them when I was brought here, while you're working together, you're also not."

"You're taking this well for someone who was summoned to another world."

"Frankly, with how many books there are in that kind of genre, eventually one was going to turn out to be true. That, and either I really have been summoned to another world, or this is all a fever dream of which I will have no recollection of when I wake up." I say with a shrug. "Therefore, if you would like to announce your idolship tomorrow, I'd recommend putting a definite date of release. Two weeks at a maximum, as if we wait a month people will put it off and won't care as much, but two weeks also gives enough time for the word to spread."

She narrows her eyes at me. "Are you sure?"

"Have I lied yet?"

"Not _yet_." She says, though the air of suspicion has yet to clear. "You have a lot of nerve, pushing around like this."

"You said to make you a star, not treat you like a goddess." I say, looking her right in the eyes. "I'm certain enough of my capabilities that I can do both, but if you insist on making me your producer, it will help if you listen to me. Of course, I'll listen to your input, but we both have our own specialties. When it comes to marketing, branding, and publicity, it would be great if you'd let me have the upper hand. I'm willing to give you full control otherwise, and besides, nothing I do will be done without you signing off on it."

"That's… ha… fine." She says, nodding. "I have some lyrics ready. Do you think we can secure a recording and release?"

"Do you have the score you'd like? Or are you going to be relying mostly on synthetic instruments?"

"I'll… have to think about that."

"That would be a 'no'." I put the clicker on the pen on my chin, an idea coming to mind. "Noire, I think I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"If you'd like to talk about being an idol, I'd like for you to frame it in a hypothetical. Talk about how idols have been gaining a lot of traction lately, and how it's made even you think about becoming one. Of course, you know it's hard work, but you think you're capable of handling your work as the leader of this nation while also singing and holding concerts. It'll be useful to gauge interest in your idol debut. There'd be no point to actually talking about you releasing a single if no one's going to care. That should drum up some hype, but buy us some time to secure a score, get our musicians, a recording done, and so forth. Is that an acceptable compromise?"

"Huh? Well… I guess it works."

"I know you'd like to get ahead of everyone, but this is us losing a battle to win the war. As you mentioned that these appearances are weekly, it means we can save the big reveal for next week, _and_ drop news of your upcoming single if we've laid enough groundwork."

"I'm trusting you on this one."

"Please do."

She nods as she leaves, stopping at the doorway. "You're just a bit frightening, you know? Most people wouldn't be so ready to go like this."

"Well, like I said, I'd like to go home."

"Right… and um… sorry if I took you away from anyone. I didn't think about that."

"It's fine. It's not like there's anyone waiting for me, anyways." I say bluntly, trying to give off the image that I'm not hurt. I'm not actually… hurt, anyways. That, and it's a true statement, what I said to her.

"O-oh, I see."

"You opened up about it earlier, so I thought I'd do you the same courtesy. Besides, open communication is best for cooperation. I won't go behind your back, don't worry."

I see her only nod back. "I trust you can figure out everything in the room, right?"

"Yes. What time is your appearance, by the way? I'd like to watch it myself, if I can. If it's going to be regular, that plays right into our hands, so I'd like to see the format of the show so we can maximize its potential once we get your idol career rolling."

"Right. Well, I'll be on at ten in the morning, so make sure you're up by then."

"Not a problem. I'll prepare some notes for you to look over tomorrow morning as well."

* * *

"_So, Noire, Noire, tell us. With MOB48's wave of influence, what are you planning on doing about it? Are you planning on becoming an idol yourself?"_

All she has to do is not mess this one up.

"_Hmmm… well, it is a lot of work already keeping everything up and running, but I've thought about it."_

"_Only thought about it? My, my, I thought you'd have already gotten a headstart."_

"_Oh, but I have."_

Goddammit.

I put down the mug of coffee as I continue watching. It seems to be a regular talking host show program where Noire just sits on the hot seat and talks about things for an hour. The first ten minutes was reserved for actual news she'd like to talk to people directly about, but everything afterwards feels more like a 'let's just chat' session.

"_Ooooooh! Can you share any exclusive details?"_

"_Does anyone really want to know, Helen?"_

Good, good. That's good, Noire. It seems that some of the stuff I mentioned to her yesterday is sticking.

"_Well? Does anyone want to know?"_

The studio crowd is pretty pumped up about it, but that's not a good measure. Therefore…

"_Hmm… why don't we put a poll up, Helen? There's no point talking about a potential idol career if no one really wants to see me get up on stage, right?"_

"_Ohoho, maybe we should. Let's pause for a quick commercial break, and we'll see how everyone's feeling when we come back."_

I immediately turn my attention to the laptop on the counter, which I was also given last night to borrow just before I went to sleep, delivered by one of the midnight staff at the Basilicom. I've kept multiple tabs open, all monitoring the hashtags for idols, Noire, Noirestation, and the like. I would've preferred to have a program that aggregated all of this data, but until I can get that up and running, I'm going to have to do this manually. Overall, there does seem to be a positive reception to Noire becoming an idol.

Good, this means that we can really start hammering things out. We'll build the hype up from here and carry ourselves to the debut of the first single.

However, I'm worried, despite it going well. At the rate this is going, there's a certain question that's about to be asked. One that I should've seen coming, but foolishly forgot to think about. My laser focus on keeping Noire from blurting out she was going to become an idol right away must have kept me from thinking on it.

Of course, the question soon becomes…

"_So when do you plan on having your first song out? If you were to, of course, become an idol?"_

I pray, harder than I ever have in my life. She can't put a time on it. If she does, the media will twist it and we'll have a lot more expectations on our shoulders. Even if she says a month, it means everyone's going to expect it in a month. We can't afford delays, not with how high profile she is.

"_I'd have to see if I could juggle all of my responsibilities, so I don't want to put down anything definite."_

"_Then what's this about a head start you said earlier?"_

"_Oh, that? I just recruited a producer, is all. I need someone who can help me keep track of things while I also keep on top of all of my duties. While becoming an idol sounds like fun, it is also a lot of work. I don't want to shirk on the duties that I have towards the citizens of Lastation."_

Her reply is as smooth as butter. No doubt she expected that kind of question. I forgot for a moment I was dealing with someone who heads a nation. In terms of mind games and quick thinking, she outclasses me by several leagues. I didn't need to be so worried.

"_I see, I see… then, who is this mystery producer? Surely it's someone famous."_

"_I won't say much other than that I have a lot of faith in them."_

I breathe out a sigh of relief, knowing that we dodged a bullet there. I did add a big note on the notes I gave to Noire to avoid talking about who I was at all costs. That meant obscuring any detail about me whatsoever. The focus needs to be entirely on her. She probably already figured that out even without my help, though.

"_Can we get any details? What are they like?"_

"_They're a real go getter. Can you believe the day I asked them to work for me, by the time the sun went down they had already started putting together some plans for me?"_

"_Wow, talk about a workaholic! That means we can expect to see something soon, if they're going full steam ahead, right?"_

"_We'll see."_

"_That's not a no!"_

It's better than the alternative, which is a hard yes. Bullets dodged all around.

"_I don't want to get too ahead of myself. Even if I'd like to become an idol, keeping Lastation up and running is my top priority."_

"_Mhm, mhm!"_

For the most part, I don't have anything else to complain about, so I end up zoning out and mostly just watching the closed captioning go by. My mind is already churning with ideas along with all of the work that'll need to be done. Vocal training, dancing training, not to mention even getting some sound engineers and lighting staff. Actually, we'll need a choreographer who can conceptualize what each concert is going to look like, too.

I manage to find a pen, but as I couldn't find a spare sheet of paper I start taking notes on the napkins. It's really fortunate that money isn't an object for us, it means we the only real investment we have to make is time. Time that was spent finding a good vocal training is time that could have been spent recruiting sound engineers. However, once we have everything together, it should be fine, as we'll be at the maintaining state.

"I see you're ready to go."

The sole voice of reason in the cast of Lastation's Basilicom, Kei, calls out as she enters the lounge I was sitting in. Dressed professionally, black suit and what is either shorts or a skirt as the creases make it hard to tell, all topped off with a blue tie to match her silver hair. It matches quite well with my own clothing, which is similar in nature except that my tie is red, my jacket is a navy blue, and instead of a skirt-or-shorts it's tan khakis for me. That I wore yesterday, too. Ugh.

I push the black hair strands out of my sight, wondering if I should get a haircut soon, and nod towards her. "This is a lot of work, after all."

She sets down several stacks of paper on the table. "I've compiled all the data you requested in that late night email. Additionally, I've used our network to find some trainers that Noire will need for the foreseeable future. I've given them your contact information, such as the email account I set up for you. Ah, and of course."

Kei procures a phone from her jacket pockets and hands it to me. It's a sleek, almost shiny, black smartphone with grey highlights, befitting of Lastation's aesthetic. "Your phone, as well. As you're summoned from another world, or so Noire says, I doubt anything you brought here is going to be usable."

I take the phone and nod. "Thank you. I'll be sure to set it up later."

"Good. There's some documents I've left in a safe in your room as well, those are all legal documents so no one gets any suspicious ideas of who you are. I recommend reading over them to make sure everything is fine. There's also a driver's license included, but try not to go too wild, it's mostly there for your identity."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to take the responsibility of being her producer off of your shoulders."

Kei nods again. "That would be appreciated. I have a lot of my own duties to attend to, so if you're able to fully take over the role it would free me up. However, if you encounter any roadblocks you and Noire can't get around, feel free to let me know. I can't promise to always lend a hand, but I can try."

"I suppose my only roadblock at the moment is the hostility from Uni."

I see Kei chuckle as she shakes her head. "It's probably because you've come in out of nowhere, quite literally."

"She's very protective of her sister."

"That's a nice way of putting it. Well, I don't think you'll find yourself too bogged down by her. Once you show that you're dedicated to making sure Noire takes off, I'm sure you'll earn her trust. Ah, and one last thing before I go. In the documents that were provided, you'll also find an ATM card. I believe it's only fair that you be compensated for your time, as you were dragged here against your will. I've taken into account that you're staying here, so your lodgings and food are taken care of, but you should at least have something you can use to enjoy yourself with and of course, get yourself a new wardrobe for while you're here. You seem to be a very logical man, so I've also included the findings for what the average music producer makes so you can be sure that you're being properly compensated. Feel free to fact check the data, though."

"They say 'trust, but verify', however with how open you're being I feel as if I don't have to. Of course, I will, but I admire your preemptive thinking. Thank you, I'll be sure to inform you if there's any issues."

She pours herself a cup of coffee from the pot and nods. "Of course and good luck producing Noire. If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting."

"Have fun."

I hear a small snort coming from her as she leaves. Well then, there's certainly a lot to do, and a lot of phone numbers to start calling. It's not like I can really put my skills to use unless we can even produce a decent sounding song to begin with…

* * *

**Goddammit here we go again.**

**Either way, yeah, I couldn't get this idea out of my head. I also wanted to experiment with kind of the framing device sort of story, exploring the "how we got to the final concert" path. I mean, it's a Producing Perfection sort of story, it's not exactly hard to imagine where this is all going to go, so I figured I'd try to do something a little differently.**

**And so, this story was born. It seems like it might be fun, with a bit different of a protagonist than Elliot in **_**And How Was Your Day?**_** Takeo is much more headstrong, willing to put up a fight, and more confident in his actions, which I think makes for something interesting in terms of a future dynamic with Noire. It's also kind of fun, when you see the start, and Takeo is far more open and he and Noire have a friendlier vibe, so this'll be more about the journey to get there rather than the destination.**

**Overall, not a lot to say for this chapter. I struggled with what to name the MC for a bit, but eventually decided on "Takeo" as it once again, sounded generic enough but still kind of exotic. I was trying to steer clear of Japanese names, but I ended up liking the sound of it and decided to stick with it. I guess I play Neptunia with the Japanese voices anyways, so it does make it slightly easier for me to imagine Noire's dialogue.**

**I did kind of enjoy having them both quickly open up by stumbling over each other, though, in how Takeo brazenly just assumes Noire has someone and Noire's stumbling back that she really doesn't, and him opening up back as she did as well. I thought it was a good characterizing moment for him. Noire being headstrong in what she wanted to do, but listening to Takeo who's just as stubborn felt like something she'd do as well, especially when it's evident he's in his element.**

**I think this one was mostly just me setting up the premise, but I'd like to delve a little more into Noire and Takeo's growth with each other, especially with some of the stuff I laid out here. Let me know what you think! Also don't expect frequent updates like **_**And How Was Your Day? **_**(relatively speaking, anyways); this one was mostly to scratch out an itch in my head, haha. Let me know what you all think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Memory 2: **Teacher and Student

* * *

I quickly exhale while dodging the strike I felt coming, quickly stepping out of the way and hearing a female voice grumbling, expressing shock at the actual dodge. I manage to regain my footing and turn around, immediately stepping back in case of a second strike, my hands moving to a guard position as if I was holding a sword out of muscle memory.

"You've got to be kidding me." I mumble, finding it's Uni. "I know you don't like me as a producer that much, but attempting to ambush me outside my own room is a little insane, don't you think?"

Uni only gives me an annoyed look. "I was just taking you to make the other CPU Candidates. You know, the equivalents of me for the other CPUs."

"And this necessitated hitting me?"

"It'll be easier if—"

I can sense her intent and sidestep in time while guarding with my arms, preventing a decisive blow to the back of my head that still hurts like hell. I think my vision almost blacked out for a second, or at least it's still blurry _now_. And that's even after preventing a direct hit...

"—you just slept while I brought you there!"

"We have pills for that, you know! If you really wanted me to keep quiet I don't mind taking sleep medication, geez!"

These goddesses are the real deal; there's no way I could ever hope to outperform them physically. It's only due to a sharpened instinct that I'm even keeping conscious. That last hit seriously rocked me to the core, I'd hate to see her when she's serious. If she was actually attempting to take me out, there's no way I'd probably even be alive right now.

"_Excuse me."_

I'm saved by the voice of reason, Kei. I don't think I could've taken another strike from Uni.

"We have a practice arena if you'd like to duke it out there. The staff work very hard to keep the halls clean and more importantly, in one piece."

Despite the fact I'm sure Kei isn't much more than an ordinary human and staff member, the punctuation and pronunciation of her words seem to hit Uni with more force than a wrecking ball, a small _eep_ of distress escaping her lips.

"If you'd like to bring him somewhere, I know that while it may be inconvenient as he cannot fly, then please call a cab."

Uni only gives a "Hmph!" as she stalks off.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I rub where Uni struck me as Kei approaches. "Thanks for the save."

"I had a feeling when I saw Uni going towards your room, considering how there's nothing else of note in this wing of the building."

"She really doesn't like me, does she?" I mumble, shaking my head. "I think I have an idea on how to get her to at least be okay with me, but her attitude is making it hard."

"Well, I believe in you. Additionally, I came here to deliver some of the data you requested. I'm not sure I wholeheartedly agree with your decision to put Loudrex Sound and Entertainment as our primary contracting group, but I can see why."

"As long as you can understand, I think that's fine for now." I say with a nod, accepting the folder from Kei. "Though, I did want to talk to Uni. Do you have any idea where I can find her later?"

* * *

"I'll leave my position quietly."

I would say this is marketing, but frankly all advertisement is based in persuasion and perhaps suggestion. All of the craft is in making my message something that the other person wants to hear. The most powerful thing one can do to influence another person is get them to believe that everything was their idea, after all. I don't have to convince someone to buy a car if I have already primed and planted the idea within that they _want_ to buy a car.

Therefore, now that I have planned out my approach, all that's left is the execution. First, was the hook, to which Uni immediately picks her head up from the magazine she was reading. This was the easiest part, considering how there was one thing she wanted to hear.

"On one condition, of course. I understand fully well you want me to leave, after all, but I have my own motivations."

"Like what, being around my sister? I'll have you know that she said that you two _don't_ have a special bond."

Her facial expression and body language tell me this was clearly meant to be an attack. One that she assumed would hurt me or make me second guess being with Noire. However, with the kind of hurt that I've dealt with, even if I had placed some hope in that 'special bond', it probably wouldn't have fazed me. And more importantly, it's a trump card that I know I asked Noire to say that to her.

"That's nice. I wonder what could've prompted her to say that after her rather bold declaration the other day." I say, feigning ignorance.

"Maybe it's because she doesn't actually need you. I can do everything you can do."

Perfect.

Now that she's hooked on this idea, comes the next phase. Reeling her in to what I actually want. Sometimes, stubborn people are actually the easiest to deal with. Pride forces us to act in certain ways, because we do not want to admit we are wrong. The image we want to give others is a powerful tool in manipulation, persuasion, and overall in marketing. _"Buy this to look beautiful", "If you have this bag you'll be popular"_, and so forth.

"Is that so? Care to put that to the test?"

"I don't _need_ to. I know it's true. I know my sister better than you ever could." She says, standing up from the table. "So you can leave quietly, like you said you would."

"Then, I'm sure you'll be fine taking me up on my condition." I say, keeping a neutral position. "You see, Noire hasn't quite signed off on the idea for what her first concert will be like as we've been busy organizing her first single. The objective of it is going to be to build up hype and excitement for her single release. I have some ideas on how to best capitalize on it, but I haven't formalized it yet. The presentation is in three days. I will yield and leave my position quietly if you can come up with a strategy that Noire picks over me."

"I don't have to take this stupid challenge, you know."

I'm well aware of that; however, you've given me everything I need to know.

"I know you don't, however it appears that Noire still believes that I am better for being a producer than you." I can see the slight bitterness on her face after that. Perfect. "It is also in both of our interests; if you are indeed a better producer than me, then you should take the role. Therefore, I will go home faster and be out of your hair faster. Additionally, it lets you spend more time with your sister."

It would be too obvious to try to provoke her into it; anyone could see that one coming. But, I know what she wants—she wants to be with her sister, to have some semblance of acknowledgement, and so forth. I'm simply giving her an opportunity to get what she wants if she works with me.

"Don't you have the advantage? You've been on this for a few days." She says, narrowing her eyes at me. Obviously, she's still suspicious.

"Don't _you_ have the advantage, knowing your sister better than I do and what will appeal to her more? Also, this is going to be the only time I offer this."

False urgency. It's a way to get people to make rash decisions. By making this the one and only chance, she has to take it.

"After all, once we really get the ball rolling after the first concert, it's best to stick with the same producer. Since we'll be in charge of coordinating all the various teams, it'll be troublesome to shift after the first concert."

"...what happens if you win?"

"Then I will ask that you stop asking your sister to fire me. It simply won't do if the teams I plan to gather to help put on shows keep wondering if I'll be fired and replaced because they'll rightly assume you have some sway over Noire's actions. It will impact morale and staffing, thus ultimately affecting the performance at Noire's concerts."

The important thing is to frame it all around Noire. Making everything revolve around her sister means it's easy to put things I want Uni to do in a positive light, as everything I want to do is for Noire's benefit, but ultimately my own as I can go home.

"...deal."

"Very well, thank you. I will see you at the presentation room in three days, and will forward the invite to your inbox when I return to my room."

"You better start packing your bags as well."

"But of course. I'm not so conceited as to believe I've already been chosen."

But I'm confident enough to know that I can at least put on a good enough presentation. I'd like to say everything was calculated from the start, but honestly I only came up with this plan about two days ago. I decided to wait until it was three days until the presentation, which was at ten o'clock in the morning, thus really only giving Uni about two days and a half days to prepare as it's currently three in the afternoon, in order to limit her capacity to put together a good presentation.

Now of course, she can put something together and her relationship with her sister can help her appeal, but ultimately it can create openings for me. Judging by Uni's diehard allegiance to her sister, there are things she will be bound to miss that I will see. After all, I can enhance my own presentation by poking at the holes in hers.

It's remarkably cutthroat, but I suppose that it's not exactly a low I'm not willing to stoop to. If anything, I wouldn't have tried this stunt if she had just been willing to work with me.

Of course, there was also some misdirection involved. While I told Uni I haven't formalized my approach, I had already gathered the data, graphed it out, prepared my analysis and arguments, and done most of the legwork to get a rough idea of the story I wanted to tell. I simply hadn't put it into a formal presentation, but it's not like anyone asked me what 'formalized' meant.

Hopefully this fixes things or at least smoothens them out. I dislike lying, even if it is simply omissions of truth and not outright lies, and manipulation in this context, as I'm well aware that marketing is all about influencing people's thoughts. But I prefer it in that regard, rather this underhanded and sneaky way of doing things. It's bad business, after all.

Regardless, the days seem to idle on by. While I'm mostly confident, I would say eighty percent chance that I'm chosen, I don't want to get too ahead of myself. I mostly make notes for myself on who to contact and who I need to start talking with first, since I'm sure Uni is going to throw away everything that I have if she wins.

"By the way, Noire, Uni has an intent to propose a strategy as well. I figured there was no harm in it." I say in our daily status update meeting, held at nine-thirty in the morning. At this point, it's only one day until our strategy meeting. Kei is also sitting in on it just so she's kept in the loop and can comment on its feasibility. While for us, money is no object, as Noire has kept saying in her appearances she does not want it to affect her running Lastation, I wanted to operate under an acceptable budget.

"Isn't that your job?"

"I thought it would be useful and like I said, there's no harm in it. She might pick up something I miss, knowing you better. So likely, she'll present first, then I'd like to present mine."

"She knows the meeting is happening?" Noire asks, stirring her coffee.

"She does seem to care about your wellbeing and wants to support you. It seems natural that Uni would know."

"Doesn't she not like you, still?" She asks further, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, but I'm hoping to use tomorrow's meeting as a way to convince her that I can help you. If you'll forgive me for that, I would sleep a little better. I prefer to be more honest and upfront about these sort of things, after all."

"Is there something you're feeling guilty about, then?"

I look Noire in the eyes. "It's not so much guilt as it is hesitation. However, I believe I cannot tell you what the circumstances are as it will affect your judgement tomorrow."

"Something is happening between you and Uni and it involves this presentation."

"That is the case. However, this event requires you to be impartial between our presentations. Thus, I cannot explain it to you until afterwards."

"Yes, you _can_." She says, leaning in towards me. "The fact I know about is already going to mess with me. Spill."

"Are you absolutely sure that you can still make tomorrow's judgement call in complete impartiality?"

"I think I'm _very _capable of making objective decisions. Now, _spill_."

"Uni and I are competing for the position of your producer. I offered her my wholly willing resignation should you choose her for the strategy we are taking tomorrow." I say, never faltering.

Noire scowls, pushing her chair away from me. "Seriously?"

"If she is a better pick than me, it benefits us all. You'll gain your shares faster and I can be out of your hair sooner."

"This is so _stupid_." She grumbles, using one hand to massage the temples of her forehead. "I know Uni cares for me and wants my attention, but this is ridiculous."

"Noire, if I may be so rude, how often do you spend time with your sister?"

"We eat dinner together every day, unless something comes up."

"Regardless of whether or not I'm chosen for the position tomorrow, please make an attempt to spend at least an hour with your sister two, if not three times a week, and once a month make plans to spend the whole day together." I say, getting an annoyed look from Noire. "I can't say for certain this will work, but I think you need to make some effort on your part to assuage her worries you aren't paying attention to her."

"Who are you to tell me how to act with my sister?" She asks, her pointed look starting to bore into my skull.

"No one, so forgive me for pushing my beliefs onto you. However, I believe that sisters and friends should be together as much as they can. That, and I think you'll find Uni becoming less clingy and insecure about you if she's convinced you won't just break off one day. Regular meetings, not just dinner, where you can take an afternoon break and just play video games for an hour or even walk around, I think, would help her feel more secure with her relationship with you. It'll help assuage her worries for when you start getting more attention as an idol, also lessening the chances she'll pull anything."

"You don't even know Uni that well."

"I don't, but it also can't hurt to try. However, if you think that my words have no weight to them, feel free to disregard them as someone just musing about family."

"You really don't mince words, do you?"

"I prefer to be as honest as possible. There is nothing more disgraceful than being a businessman who lies to his customers. That, and it will get you sued."

"Really have your priorities straight here, Takeo."

I chuckle, shaking my head. "Regardless, please make sure you make an impartial decision tomorrow. I know you summoned me here to become a producer, however if you believe your sister's strategy trumps mine, you _must _choose hers."

I get a nod of the head from Noire back. "I understand. However, next time, don't pull this kind of sneaky thing and spring it on me. I'd be more approving of it if you went through me first."

"Well, they do say it is better to ask forgiveness than permission, however I will do my best next time. Sorry, I let my own personal feelings get in the way of us acting as a team. I hope you'll look over it."

"I'll look over it if you give a good presentation tomorrow. Anyways, that should be all for this meeting, yes?"

"Yes, that is the last, if not impromptu, item off our agenda. Pending your approval tomorrow, I will get in contact with the as-previously discussed companies and start working out our deals. Additionally, I've already prepared for your full day study session for the day after tomorrow which should cover singing, dancing, and all of the idol basics, so please be sure to be diligent and pay attention."

"Heh, who do you think I am?" Noire says with a confident smile.

"I believe you are the idol I am producing, so while I trust in your abilities, I feel as if I ought to remind you." I say, Noire rolling her eyes. "If there is nothing else, then that is all."

"Well, good luck tomorrow, then."

"Thank you. I'll do my best."

* * *

Uni's strategy is fairly bold, going for growth as fast as possible while utilizing Noire's fame to quickly make a name for herself. It involves using a larger auditorium and stage where we can quickly host a hundred thousand people and using the headlines from that to generate more sales and larger venues.

She had a few graphics that weren't distracting, but overall lacked a lot of hard data behind it. There was some, the easily gatherable stuff, such as hashtag popularity history and search term historical trends, but because I had extra time, I could dig up some more.

Not to mention she clearly used personal appeal to Noire. Her language wasn't what one would see in a typical meeting; it was evident she was selling directly to Noire in an attempt to get chosen. Especially when she made the mention this was the shortest time consuming one, meaning that it wouldn't eat up a lot of time in regards to how long Noire would be taken away from her duties of running a nation, something clearly very important to her. Plus, the bigger and faster breakaway would allow them to gather not just the lost shares from MOB48, but also a chance to gain a bigger piece of the pie from the other CPUs. I hadn't quite factored that into my equation, but I don't know enough about the topic to really talk on it, so I wouldn't adjust accordingly.

Regardless, it was a decent, if not ambitious strategy. Uni seems to be incredibly confident in it as she sits back down.

I calmly plug my computer in and load up my presentation. Unlike Uni, my approach was going to be more holistic and organic. While a bigger timesink in the long run, my goal was not to get there as fast as possible, but rather to _ensure_ we arrived there.

"Well, it feels slightly fitting then, in that I am taking an opposite approach to Uni's strategy." I say, hitting "Presentation Mode" and stepping up to the front of the room, facing Kei, Uni, and Noire.

"Simply put, I'd like to start small. Five hundred people for the first concert."

I push the button to advance the slide where my overview breakdown begins.

"What the goal of this is, is to create a sense of urgency and of exclusivity. I plan to invite a few key influencers, but they won't make a bulk of our audience. We'll instead allow for a raffle, but also importantly, we can have a few tickets won at events. For example, Noirestation. While Noire appears weekly on the show, we can schedule events that build hype to this first concert.

"We'll market it as Noire's first concert, an exclusive sort of deal, something that won't be broadcasted just yet to generate a sense of mystery and buzz. This way, when the second concert happens, we'll be able to drive sales higher, by constantly feeding on this need to get them before they're sold out.

"Now, you ask, Noire herself can move tickets. So why start small? Well, we know while there is a general interest in Noire and while the internet says that they'd like to see her as an idol, we have no way to actually predict what that 'interest' translates to in terms of ticket sales."

As if to highlight that fact, I display data on the screen regarding those hashtags along with polls regarding what interest in attending a concert from Noire, but show a big question mark over ticket sales data.

"One person with an opinion is worth ninety nine people who only have interest. What we should be targeting, to fill the stands, is people who have the opinion that they want to see Noire perform. If we can fill seats now, we can start marketing everything as sold out. Continuously sold out, over and over again.

"Because the one thing that will sink Noire's idol career is if we overstretch at the start and have a stadium with room for a hundred thousand and fill only fifty thousand. No one will care that fifty thousand people were there. People will care that half the stadium was empty, which will be spun as 'she wasn't really that special', if not worse. That, and if we have a hundred thousand seats for the first concert, it will drive a lot less urgency. Limiting the number of tickets creates an artificial scarcity, which we'll use to our advantage as to slowly build up Noire's reputation as an idol. If anyone wants to ask, our official statement will be that Noire is keeping in mind the budget and not wanting to use the funds that Lastation needs for the services it provides as that aligns with her current statements that she is prioritizing keeping Lastation running, which I'll touch on here."

I shift the graphics along to data gathered about several of our rivals' concerts, which was pulled by looking at their concert history and then analyzing the venues for the capacity. I marked which ones were sold out along with mapping out their general rise to stardom, which is clearly what we were going for but at an accelerated pace.

"Regardless of whether or not anyone questions it, I plan to only have small scale concerts while Noire builds out her full album. While a single can get us on the charts, we need a hell of a lot more than just a single to really make an impact. Besides, if we keep just playing the same songs at concerts, people will get bored of it. That's also why it's best to keep small, we can extend the life of this one single Noire will release until she's able to write up more songs.

"It will also make our spending a lot smaller overall. We'll be able to look at our profit margin and see what we're able to afford by mimicking organic growth, along with mitigating the risk of overshooting. And even if we overshoot, it means that less is coming out of Lastation's budget overall. The late term goal should be to become a self-sufficient group. It'll take a while for us to get there, but if we can keep that in mind it should prevent us from going overboard too soon.

"Also, as a final note, while I don't doubt Noire's ability to become an idol, a small scale concert will help us gauge interest. If we struggle to actually fill in all of those seats, we definitely have our work cut out for us. We can also use the recorded footage from the concert to analyze demographics and see our popularity across ages, thus allowing us to figure out where Noire appeals to and where we need to do more work to reach."

With that, comes the end of my presentation.

"If there are any questions, I'll take them now. Additionally, I've printed out the budget reports for the venue I was looking at along with what I plan to offer the staff I plan to recruit." I say, gesturing to the packet of papers next to my laptop. "I'm also about to wrap up on the kind of branding I'd like to have for Noire's idol career, going forward, but that will have to be for another time depending on what strategy we choose."

"I see." Kei says, standing up. "Thank you, Takeo, Uni. Noire and I will talk about which strategy we'll take. Hopefully we should have something by the end of the day."

Though while both of us nod, I can already tell that Uni's nervous. I didn't underestimate what she could pull, as I knew she'd pull out all of the stops in appealing to Noire. After all, the goal was simply to defeat me. But what Uni failed to realize is that she also had to appeal to Kei, who held considerable sway over Noire's decisions.

While time is money, what Uni forgot is that money is still money, and that an explosive sudden growth would require a massive upfront cost. It's a giant risk, after all. I didn't sell exactly to either of them, which was a mistake that I did make. I should have considered that a little more, but I banked hard, perhaps too hard, on Uni being too spiteful to make a clearheaded decision, leaving her full of openings. If she had decided to take my approach I'm sure that she would have knocked it out of the park.

However, I suppose that in a way, my strategy wasn't "I'm the better one", but moreso "Uni's is worse". Not exactly my favorite style of winning, but I suppose it's just what I had to do. But then again, budget is king for people running anything, so appealing to that budget definitely helped out in appealing to both Noire and Kei.

I suppose now all that's left to do, after asking Kei for a copy of Uni's slides, is to prepare for what one might call 'checkmate'.

* * *

My strategy, of course, was going to be amusingly as bold as Uni's. I'm fairly certain Kei understood what I was going to do, as she seemed hesitant based on the tone taken in her email to give me Uni's slides.

They'd really just be icing on the cake, anyways. I had taken fairly detailed notes on Uni's presentation and would be able to do what I planned to do even without the slides. It's just that having her own material to annotate would be useful.

Honestly, the harder part was trying to figure out how to get this to her without anyone else finding out. It took some discussion with the Basilicom staff to find Uni's mailbox, which is where they'd put her mail. While what I had left in there would obviously be coming from me, I would prefer if no one spilled, so my strategy there had been to ask where I could leave Uni a letter or a note if I had to ever contact her, then I returned about two hours later to actually put the material in the box.

From there, I went to my room and simply waited. All of the pieces were set, at least, according to how I envisioned the scenario playing out.

About an hour and a half later, I hear the definitely angry footsteps echoing outside my door.

"Just what is this?!"

I calmly stop typing as my door is thrown open by Uni, who in her right hand is clutching an annotated copy of her slides. Though, my heart sinks just a little bit, as she looks on the verge of tears.

"Was having my sister pick your plan over mine not enough for you?!"

It's almost a voluntary effort not to clutch my chest as the feeling of guilt echoes through me. While I had technically planned for part of this, the raw _pain_ in her shout cuts deep. A hurt from losing, perhaps not just in terms of a competition of wits, but instead a competition of who knew her sister better. That despite all of their years of knowing one another, she still couldn't reach her sister. That kind of pain was... something I myself wished to never inflict on anyone...

"Did you really have to go and just kick me while I was down?! Don't get so full of yourself, I'll show you not to underestimate me, got it?! Then you'll really regret having been chosen!"

I take a deep breath, forcing myself not to interrupt her. First and foremost, right now she just needs to get all the frustration out of her chest.

As I stated, I had anticipated that she'd be mad, doubly so because I left a copy of her slides that indicated what she missed and common misconceptions she fell for. I just didn't… expect she'd be so passionate about it.

Come on, Takeo. You can still recover from this. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. You started this mess by goading Uni into this competition. See it through to the end. How could you face Noire if you left things the way they are, anyways?

"Uni." I say as she finishes, trying to keep an expression of calm. "...may I speak?"

"You better explain yourself!"

I nod, closing my laptop and turning to face her. "Then, allow me to begin. First, I wish to sincerely applaud you on your presentation today. No, that is not me being facetious. It's just that as noted, you fell into some common misconceptions regarding your data and some of the points you made."

"Y—"

"Miss Uni, I allowed you to finish speaking before I did. May I be granted the same privilege?"

As I get back into the flow, regaining control of the situation and of my own heart, I feel that I can emerge with my original objective in mind. Now that it's back in my hands, I can resume pursuing the original goal.

Regardless, part of why I kept silent was yes, that she would not have listened beforehand. But, it also allowed me to play politeness judo. By leveraging the fact that I was indeed the victor in our match, it granted me a sort of respect that she had to at least acknowledge, and by having listened to her entire impassioned speech, I could politely ask that she do the same, forcing her into a bad position. If she did, then I get what I want. If she did not, then it would hang over her head that I could potentially bring it up to Noire at any time, which might have Noire ask her to stay away in general while this idol business gets sorted out.

And for Uni, that's an absolute loss. Not that I'd be willing to go through with it, after seeing… this.

"Now, for why I did such a thing. I do not know the rules for which my summoning occured. I could be brought back at any time, that is an assumption we should make. I mean, we can assume that there are conditions; but we don't know what they are, so we can assume they can be met at any time, especially inconvenient ones.

"If that happens, all of my knowledge and insight goes away. I told all you when we met: I study marketing and a bit of finance. While you have a decent grip on it, you haven't studied it like I have as a trade and profession. Therefore, I would like to pass on my knowledge, expertise, and experience to you. So, in the event that I am whisked away in an untimely fashion, you will be there to take over for me with minimal impact to the current operations. I know you dislike me, but I would like to say this.

"If Noire were to want to learn how to fly a plane and there was an ace pilot ready to instruct her, I believe it would be in all of your interests to have Noire learn from the ace pilot rather than anyone else. Right now, there's no one better to teach you, and it's free. Additionally, as I'll be working firsthand with Noire, I will be able to teach you the inner workings of our operations which no textbook or other teacher can do. This will also help you take over my duties should I suddenly be unable to perform them.

"That is all I have to say to explain myself unless you have further questions, Uni."

"You… why didn't you just say that?!" She shouts, getting in my face. Her eyes are already slightly puffy and red. No doubt she was upset at losing, but while I had accounted for her being mad enough to confront me, I didn't think about how much pain it would cause. Or perhaps I just underestimated it, foolishly using myself as a basis.

"Would you have listened to me otherwise?"

"That's…!" She says, pulling away from me.

A very good point, I mentally finish.

"I won't apologize for my methods as that would be an empty apology. However, I will apologize for how upset you were. I miscalculated how much of a blow that would deal." I say, pulling a tissue from the tissue box and holding it up to her eye. "Hold still."

"Wha…!"

However, she does so, so I'm able to wipe the tears that were forming.

"I will also apologize for those." I say, tossing the tissue away. "If there is ever anything I can do to make it up to you, let me know. Aside from abandoning my post. You needn't give me your request now, but later on I will do my best to fulfill it when asked."

She's quiet at this, only staring at me with an expression of disbelief, her mouth slightly ajar.

"Ah, also in terms of reading, I would recommend this book for starters. Forgive me for seeming presumptuous, but I also ordered it in the event I lost." I say, picking up the paperback textbook, _Foundations in Marketing Strategy Edition Twelve, _with its simple light green cover complete with a picture of a stock graph.

"But… why?"

"Well, I think my pride would tell me that I have to go back to the basics. If I was defeated in my field of expertise, perhaps I had forgotten the fundamentals and thus needed to relearn them. I always kept the possibility of losing in my mind, after all."

"_Really_." Uni says, though there's an obvious sarcasm to it, her usual sting in her voice returning.

"Losing is a natural part of things." I say, closing my eyes and pushing away a bad memory. "You can't win every time, no one does. Not even the biggest successes in baseball or any other sport are always at their best. For every home run, there are strikeouts. I was confident that I wouldn't lose, but I was always prepared for the possibility."

"You say that, but from how you talk it's like you've never lost."

"I have, don't worry about it." I say, slumping slightly in my chair. "I've definitely lost before, don't doubt me on that. I wish I hadn't, because it was for something very important to me, but it's typically those times that we end up losing."

There's a kind of harsh and awkward silence that sets in after that, with Uni eventually breaking it.

"You're… kind of weird, you know that?"

I bite my lip, not really out of being called weird, but due to the memory surfacing of why I became this way, exacerbated by bringing up my 'loss' in the first place. However, I shake it off, shrugging.

"I suppose I am. Anyways, as per our agreement, please do not continue to pester Noire to have me fired. Now that we are moving ahead and I will be gathering our staff, moving together as a team will be very important."

"Right…"

The door opens again, with Noire at the door. "Takeo, I wanted to ask if you wanted to—"

"Oh, Noire, wonderful timing." I say, seeing an opportunity. "Uni, you were going to ask your sister if she was available for dinner tonight, weren't you?"

"I, bwha, wha—"

"We're going to be fairly busy, after all." I say, relaxing in my seat. "While I don't intend to run you ragged, Noire, being an idol and also running a nation is a lot of time out of your day. You won't have as much time to spend with each other, so it's important that you use every opportunity you can. I'm sure that whatever you were going to ask can wait, right, Noire?"

"Well, I suppose it can. Where did you want to go, Uni?"

"Oh, ah… er, well, there's that noodle shop we liked from a few weeks ago…" Uni says, clearly not having been prepared to be answering this question.

"Ah, okay. I've been meaning to go back there as well. I'll meet you in ten minutes in the lobby, okay? And Takeo, never mind, but make sure you eat, got it?"

"Yes, yes, don't worry. I'll eat after I finish this draft."

"I mean it. I'm going to have Kei check you're eating three meals a day at this rate. Anyways, see you in a bit, Uni."

With that, the door is closed, leaving only me and Uni in the room.

"Well, you should probably go and get ready to meet with your sister." I say, turning back to my laptop and opening it up. "You wouldn't want to be late. She strikes me as the kind of woman who likes punctuality."

"Right…" Uni mumbles, looking away as she clearly doesn't know what kind of expression to make regarding this situation. "And… thanks."

"It's fine. It's not like I was lying when I said that she'll be busy. Sisters, and well, family and friends, should spend as much time together as they can. Have fun."

Uni pauses before leaving the room without another word. I didn't plan for Noire to show up when she did, but part of life is learning how to adapt to new situations on the fly.

Well, overall, I suppose all's well that ends well. Though, I did reveal a bit too much to Uni, but it shouldn't come back to bite me. It can be swept up as just another weird quirk of mine.

Now then, just to finish this draft before I go looking for dinner. I was hoping to go to a ramen shop, but I suppose in order to avoid barging in on them, I'll just have to find a street stall...

* * *

**So, that was a fun one. I modified the event that happens when originally you get KO'd to meet the candidates, mostly just to develop Takeo's character/hobbies a bit more. In that scene, it's hinted that Takeo practices kendo by guarding with a sword, which I felt was kind of a good pair with his very disciplined sort of character, but more on that in a later chapter. Also I wanted to illustrate the gap between them as Takeo notes that if Uni was actually trying to kill him he'd stand no chance; it's only that she's trying to knock him out (and, unbeknownst to him, that she's more of a gun user rather than up close and personal) and his physical discipline he wasn't immediately taken down. Led into an amusing segment where Kei is able to lay down the law, too.**

**I think this chapter felt a bit on the fast side, but it was mostly because while in my head Uni and Takeo would not get along/be friendly for a while, I didn't want the whole "Uni greatly dislikes him" to drag on. This was mostly just Takeo starting to break through to her, or at least leave her in a confused enough state where it's not almost-blind dislike.**

**This chapter also highlighted a bit more on Takeo's character, with his honest approach to things but also willingness to maneuver and manipulate. However, instead of spinning lies and having people act on misinformation, his style of doing things relies more on analyzing the end results of actions he takes. Rather than lie to Uni, he takes a more a direct approach and eggs her into a competition; and then after that, takes the action of showing her mistakes to her in order to get her to confront him. It almost blew up in his face, but ultimately he was able to recover. I don't know, as I was writing along it felt like an interesting dynamic; he's not ruthless, but is still willing to hurt some feelings to achieve the end goal, albeit with some limits. In the narration he knows it was going to hurt Uni, he just didn't expect it would hurt her that much.**

**Hopefully I kept everyone roughly in character; Uni was probably the trickiest for me to nail down. From what I remember playing the games she does seem like the most confrontational and there was a moment I debated having that scene play out differently where Takeo has to chase Uni down and finish the conversation, but that didn't seem very Uni-ish. I thought, based on how she acts, she'd stand her ground which is why she kept arguing with Takeo.**

**Anyways, let me know how I did; if I was way off base, then I am prepared to completely scrap this chapter and rewrite it. See you all next time! Also, stay safe, wherever you are, seems like Corona-chan's creeping everywhere.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Memory 3: **Trust Pact

* * *

"Well, whatever you did, it's working." Noire says as we wait in traffic.

"Hm?" I ask, going over my notes and figures in the passenger seat a third time. "What do you mean?"

"Uni hasn't complained about you over dinner at any point, recently. What exactly did you do?"

"Oh, that. The short version is that I've taken her in as a student in marketing, so that if I am ever so inconveniently plucked from this world, she can at least carry on and continue operations as smoothly as possible. I did also ask her that as part of my victory, to not ask for my firing or replacement as that will directly influence staff morale." I say, conveniently leaving out how I purposely goaded her into it and provoked her to come seek me out.

"_Wow_."

I close my briefcase, stretching my neck. "I don't think she's accepted me just yet, but it's an improvement, is all. Speaking of dinner, though, have you taken my advice to heart?"

"It's a bit awkward asking her because you asked me to."

"Well, then don't ask her because I said to. Think of it merely as a suggestion, or that it's part of your work-life balance. After all, I'm not ordering you to do so, and I'm sure you'd like to have some time with your sister."

"You're not _wrong_, but you came off so forcefully it's hard to bridge the gap. Plus, we don't usually do this sort of thing, so I think she'd get suspicious."

"It's not like you have to start off with a day-long trip to a resort or something. Just go somewhere fancier for dinner for once. I don't know what Uni likes, so just pick something you both enjoy to do. Apparently you guys can fly by yourselves, so why not just fly on down to the beach or up to the mountains for a weekend?"

Noire sighs as she releases the brake pedal, letting us crawl forward before coming to a stop again. "Well, I'll try, but no promises. Can you at least promise to stop bringing it up all the time?"

"I'll bring it up in two weeks and not a minute before."

"Good enough for me, I suppose."

"As long as you at least make an effort to try to invite her out somewhere."

"I had a feeling there was a catch."

"It wouldn't be fair for me to drop it completely, is all."

"With a thought process like that, it's no wonder you don't have a girlfriend."

"I suppose it is, huh?"

There's an awkward silence that sets in afterwards, with Noire and I attempting to use the mirrors of the car to try to look at the other.

"Sorry."

"No, I should apologize. I could have taken that one in stride, but that was an unfair response." I say, sighing while scratching the back of my head. "Don't worry about it, I'm pretty aware that my personality can be a bit harsh now."

"Now? You mean you weren't always like this?" She asks with enough of a teasing smile to know that it's clearly meant in jest.

"Ah, you know. People change." I say, shrugging it off.

"Then, how did you use to be? I'm curious."

I can't help but smile a bit bitterly as I close my eyes, holding back a chuckle. "Would you believe me if I told you I used to be the ecstatic one that couldn't wait for six thirty every day because it's when everyone I was friends with was done with class and club, except on Thursdays because one of them had lab? And that I was there to get them with some takeout food no matter the weather, still carrying my gear from club?"

"You? _You_ of all people, doing that?"

"Hard to believe, but that's the kind of person I used to be." I say, putting my hands in my lap and leaning back in my seat. "But you know, this and that happens."

"Must have been a real _this and that, _Takeo."

"Life happens, Noire."

"The way you brush it off like that worries me in a way." She comments as we take the exit off the highway. "It sounds like it must've been a very life-defining event."

"Well, I'm sure you have some of those you don't like to talk about."

"Don't worry, I won't pry. I was just making a comment. Besides, it'd ruin that 'business distance' you seem quite keen on keeping, wouldn't it?"

I nod. "That's very true."

"Anyways, we should almost be there. But back to the other topic, what club were you in? Ah wait, don't tell me, we have those kind of 'future business leaders' clubs at colleges, so you were definitely in that."

"Surprisingly no, it was martial arts."

Noire raises an eyebrow at me as I nonchalantly shrug. "I didn't take you for the type, but I suppose it explains how you managed to apparently keep up with Uni."

"If she were serious, I would be paste. But I suppose it might've helped me avoid a knockout blow. How'd you find out?"

"Kei tells me everything, obviously, especially if it's in regards to you. I assume she omits some details when it's best to have everything go smoothly."

"I see." I say, making a note to be more careful. "But I beg to differ. Am I not incredibly well rounded?"

"Do you want an honest answer?"

"I'll admit that I have an incredible leaning towards business and numbers, but it's not like I put all of my skill points into there or anything." I say, having already figured out the basics of industry around here. What a world, truly, that revolves around video games. Several of my old friends would have loved to come here.

"A gaming analogy, too?" Noire says with (mock) disbelief.

"Don't act so surprised." I say, snorting. "I was told by a wise teacher of mine to know a lot about a few things, but know at least a little bit about everything else or at least enough to make conversation. For example, I can't exactly talk about particle physics, but I can least talk about the latest discoveries scientists made."

"Any other wise words from this teacher of yours?"

"She was the cheeky kind, so sometimes her lessons made no sense." I say, leaning back in my seat. "But I suppose they help in why I'm well rounded."

"I'm curious, so humor me."

"Ahhh, she did say that when you're young, kids like whoever can run the fastest. When you get a little older, it's whoever can win a fight. Then, by the time you're in high school, it's whoever reads the most." I say, waving a hand around as I recall some of the sillier lessons. "I followed her teachings for some time, but by the time she changed the goalposts again halfway through high school, I said 'enough already'."

"Did you two have a falling out?"

"Not at all, but I figured she could at least tell me all the points I had to hit so I could pursue them earnestly. She laughed and said that, as I approached the latter half of high school and prepared to move onto university, that people like someone who can do all three of those things, but the most important lesson was to know when to do each. When to read, when to fight, and most importantly when to run. It is the best option sometimes, after all."

"She seems… interesting."

"Well, she was unmarried without kids, so I suppose she thought it was fun to have a hand in my life. My parents never disapproved of her, anyways. She was a successful businesswoman who retired early with enough money to travel the world if she wanted to, but she was content living an average, everyday life without much fanfare. Simple comforts, the like. Anyways, we can continue this later, it's here on the right."

"Oh, yeah, here we go."

We pull up to what could be described more as a warehouse than anything else, with a small three-story office complex attached to it. The name _Loudrex Sounds_ is hanging on the outside wall of the pale warehouse, a white luminescent sign that's turned off due to it being daytime.

"You know what we planned." I say, unbuckling my seatbelt as the car engine turns off.

Noire undoes her twintails and puts on some round, rimmed glasses. "Yes, yes, I know."

While it'd be easier if we didn't have to avoid detection, I'd prefer that Noire trusts them personally as well. Kei was a little bit hesitant with my decision but after spending some time talking it out with her, I was able to get her approval. However, the fact I had to convince Kei likely has created some hesitation with Noire; therefore, it's best she come along so she can fully trust in the staff here as well.

The entrance isn't too hard to find and the lobby is kept pretty clean. It's not too flashy, but it has photos of the bands and other performers they produced before, along with framed records of every record they helped produce. It's got a nice contrast with the otherwise austere, sleek and modern white interior that is no doubt renovated and not all what this place came with when first built. It also has only a few couches and tables within the waiting area. Not that there appears to be a lot of hustle and bustle that would necessitate it.

"Ah, I have an appointment."

"Oh, of course. Mister… Takeo, yes?" The receptionist asks. She's dressed in business casual, with her light brown hair cut short, giving her a more spunky yet feminine feel.

"That would be me, yes."

"Right, I'll go get your tour guides. Please enjoy your visit."

"Thank you."

After the receptionist leaves our earshop, having departed from the front desk to go fetch our guides, I look back at Noire. "Seems we're the only ones visiting."

"Are you sure this is the right place?" She asks, likely suspicious of the rather… _empty_ place. I'm sure she was expecting something busier, something more established in the now, perhaps to justify why I asked her to disguise herself.

"Positive."

After a few minutes of waiting, we're greeted by the chief of their sound crew along with one of their special effects technicians and lightning specialists. As part of the tour they'll be introducing me to the president of the company, which for most people would be seen as strange. They're dressed even sharper than we are. While Noire and I are dressed in professional wear with a tie and all for me, they've even got on tie clips, handkerchiefs in the pockets, button covers and cuff links. They really do aim to impress, but that's not what's going to win me over. It's a good presentation and I know why they're doing it, after all.

I have to say though, they definitely know what they're doing, and they've got the sales pitch down pat. I was more interested in what equipment they had and if they had any staff that could help storyboard our concerts. They didn't have any specialized in that, but they've cited their previous work where they helped come up with a creative vision for what each concert was supposed to look like. As we need to get Noire's branding right, that'll help out.

Their equipment wasn't the latest stuff on the market, but it was recent enough to where it was irrelevant. Plus, I was after some of the more elusive stuff which they happened to have; namely, holographic clothing. In short, we could change outfits on the fly, in the middle of a performance, almost like it was in _Macross Frontier_ from back home. This meant we didn't need to factor in clothing costs which could be ruined if something happened during physical transportation, we only had to worry about coding the design.

Additionally, some of their staff had been kept, but most were currently on furlough. Not that they told me about it, I happened to come across a few articles when I was doing my due dilligence before recommending Loudrex Sounds and it was one of the reasons Kei didn't like my choice. Simply put, it was a risky bet.

But it was one I was willing to put everything into.

As we strode into the president's office, which was not lavishly decorated, but rather kept to a bare minimum with the decorations, having more shelves crammed with books than photos hanging up, I could tell he was slightly nervous. In any other situation, the power should have been reversed. We would be coming to them—a long standing and historied group of production specialists who had been behind some of the greatest acts in history, hoping to make a good enough presentation for them to take us on. But, with the state the company is in… if we don't accept them, then they'll be the ones in trouble.

It's shrewd, yes, but highly effective. But I don't mean to make a mockery of them, nor do I wish to exploit them. In fact, this scenario only works because I _can_ offer them anything, because I'll be producing Noire. It's a rather large starting cost, but it will save me the time and effort of upscaling and potentially changing production companies down the line.

"I hope you found everything to your liking. Please, have a seat." He says, extending a hand to the two leather swivel chairs in front of his desk. I note that he himself has a chair that is far less expensive looking, being a much more mass-production run of the mill chair.

"I've found everything rather good, yes. Very happy to see the holographic clothing." I say, nodding as we take our seats, putting my briefcase on the side. "I assume that we'll have to provide the design, yes?"

"Oh, yes. If you have the physical clothing designed, we do have some tech that can help scan it in. But, it's also possible to design it digitally as well."

"I see, thank you. That's very good to hear. I do plan on recommending you, I can only hope that the one I'm producing will agree."

I see him bite his lip for a second before nodding. "I see. I hope so too. I… must ask though, why us?"

It's an attempt to put the power back into his hands. For any interview, this is a definite tripping kind of question. There are multiple ways to approach it, after all. If asked at an interview, you might want to cite the company's mission. Others have tried to make it more about the work involved. There's many strategies, after all.

"Loudrex Sounds has a long track record of producing successful musical acts and performances. In fact, it surprises me more that people are not coming to you." I say, leaning in and starting the cornering. "You provide a comprehensive service that means we do not have to coordinate between a lighting company, an effects company, a recording company, and all the rest. Why wouldn't we come to you?"

"Ah, I… see."

It goes unsaid, what the current state of the company is.

Of course, this was part of my plan to get Noire on board. While she's not guided completely by emotions, an emotional pull along with a logical argument on selecting them is a big push.

"Again, I am prepared to give my recommendation to the person I'm producing, however." I say, noticing that I've grabbed his attention. "And therefore, as I will need to present this to the budget team, I would like to come up with a proposal in terms of how much we offer."

"This is… a little sudden, sir." He says, clearly on guard as I've become aggressive.

"You're not committing to anything, sir." I say in return. "I'd just like to submit something for approval. It will help strengthen my argument to the person I'm producing, as she is very keen on listening to her budget manager. I'm sure you understand and I would like to apologize if I came off as too aggressive."

"No, you're fine… you just caught me a bit off guard, is all. What are you proposing?"

"I'd like to request your staff for a two month trial period." I say, knowing that Noire was close to finishing her song by now. "We have a series of practices planned in the lead up to her first live concert, so we'd like to get a feel for if our styles match. After the first live, we'll reevaluate and see if we'd like to continue partnering with you. We're prepared to pay for whatever staff you'd like to use, after all. If it's a bit much, we'll see what we can agree to, of course."

It's rather dirty, really, using the idea of money like this.

The president, who isn't an aged man, or at least it doesn't show, narrows his eyes at me as he leans forward in his chair. "You're quite familiar with the state that this company is in, I assume? The way you offer things speaks as much. Someone who seems so prepared as you surely would know."

"I would be a fool to come in and negotiate without understanding your situation." I say, nodding. "However, please believe me when I say that I have no intent of exploiting it. Regardless of your situation, a company able to offer a comprehensive solution is the best when it comes to ramping up in order to avoid the logistics nightmare of organizing between multiple parties quickly. Besides, I believe success is the best form of overcoming adversity."

"Are you that confident you'll be successful?"

"Quite sure, considering who I am representing."

"Then, can I ask why you did not inquire with Glimmer Sounds and Performances?"

"I dislike working with snakes."

"Hold on, you didn't tell me about this." Noire says, speaking up. "Takeo, I'd like an explanation."

I look to the president of the company. "Shall I, or you?"

"I asked _you_, Takeo."

"Very well." I say as the president sighs. "No doubt you noticed the incredibly varied array of records in the entrance. Those from were before the split. Loudrex Sound's former co-president, upon realizing the uptick in the idol business, split and formed his own company, taking all the clients with him in a blindside move. While there are normally non-competes and other contracts that prevent such a thing, you two were formerly friends from what I could find, so there was no need for that between the two of you and no one seems to have anticipated it. From what I gathered in my history as well, it also represented a disagreement in growth; you wanted to stick closer to the small business model, having a smaller but more elite staff who could really bring each and every act you supported to its peak. Glimmer Sounds and Performances, while massive, lacks that bit of personal touch. They've been the reason behind the massive hirings of producers and other performance technicians, which is why it's hard to find anything without going through them these days."

I didn't assign any motives to Loudrex Sounds, but the thought of working with the people who effectively tossed this company aside does not exactly sit well with me. That, and it means we're competing with everyone else they're also producing, giving them plenty of incentive to try to strongarm us. For example, they know we need to have a concert and have preferred staff; they might very well choose to jack up the rates or create fake barriers in order to get us to pay more or advance some sort of agenda. Considering how the former co-president of Loudrex Sound appeared on TV as a rather... _distastefully smug_, let us say, character, I chose to avoid partnering with them even if Kei didn't approve of Loudrex Sounds because of their weakened position.

"You're rather well informed. Just who are you representing?"

"Noire."

"That's a very amusing joke, sir."

"Noire." I say, turning my head towards her. "It's fine to reveal yourself."

She raises an eyebrow, but I give a nod. Noire nods back before a glow of light emanates from her chest, spreading out to coat the entire room in white light. As it dies down, where Noire once stood is… well, Noire, still. However, she's now dressed in a rather form-fitting grey tightsuit with black outlines and her hair has turned a shiny sort of silver, glowing much like her now blue eyes.

It's a rather interesting thing I stumbled upon, when I was looking into what Noire's reputation and image was among Lastation's citizens. The ability to transform into another form was something indicative of the goddesses, and perhaps those who were suited to become goddesses, as Uni also had something similar to it.

"I believe this should be enough to prove that Takeo isn't joking?" Noire says, or perhaps is it more appropriate to call her Black Heart? But that's a rather cruel name to call someone, isn't it?

The president seems a bit stunned, but after two and a half seconds he recovers, clearing his throat. "Y-yes, though it still surprises me you chose us…"

"Didn't I say I dislike snakes? It's a win-win for all of us." I say as Noire transforms back. "We get a comprehensive solution that doesn't run us for too much and has plenty of good history, you get perhaps the biggest client anyone could ever ask for to rebuild your empire."

"You seem to have thoroughly thought about this."

"That's my job, as her producer, isn't it?" I ask, getting a smile back from the president. "Noire, you approve of my choice, don't you?"

I can hear her sigh, as she no doubt knows that I'm relying on some slight emotional manipulation. But after hearing that story along with how it's a logical conclusion to pair with them, it's not like she's got a lot of room to say no. I'd say I'll have to apologize later, but considering how this was completely intentional, it'd be empty.

"Yes, I approve of them."

"Wonderful. I believe we'll be in touch soon, then, with her approval." I say, getting up from my seat. "I look forward to working with Loudrex Sounds, sir."

"We'll do our best."

"In the meantime, please draft up plans on who you'd like to staff. Our performances will be small scale for now, but we'd like to put on an impressive first showing."

"I'll talk with our managers and see what we can come up with."

"Ah, and do make sure to keep it a secret you are working with Noire. I would not want for it to go public until we have our first live concert. I'm sure you can understand."

"Of course."

I put my hand out, with the older man taking it and giving it a fair shake. "Then, thank you for meeting with us today. I'm sure this will be a fruitful partnership."

* * *

"I hate that you pulled that on me. You didn't tell me anything about the state they were in." Noire says as we drive back, the atmosphere quite heavy.

"I'm not going to apologize."

"I figured." She sighs, keeping her eyes on the road nonetheless. "I would've said yes without it. I trust you to make the right decisions."

"I needed to be sure."

As we come to another stop, hitting stop and go traffic again, I see Noire look at me. I give a shrug to her.

"Something in them struck a chord in you, didn't it?"

"Anyone would feel bad for them. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't to lift them out of a tough situation. It's true that having a comprehensive solution is convenient for us and means we can foist any technical complications onto them, as it's their job. Plus, if they're dedicated purely to us, it means less bureaucracy and delays. If it was just that they were in a tough spot and they weren't going to be a good choice, I would've passed over them."

"You're lying. You would've found a way to make it work."

"We haven't even known each other for a month. How can you be so sure?"

"That's just…" I notice her grip on the wheel get tighter. "...the kind of feeling I get around you. Besides, you told it to me this morning, what kind of guy you used to be. While I can't exactly believe it, you don't exactly just lose everything you were so quickly when you change. Unless you were straight up lying to me, but you're not the lying type, are you?"

"Perhaps that's just the image I've cultivated. There's no need to tell big lies now, after all."

"You honestly…"

Though, it's true that I try not to lie. There's never anything good that comes out of it, after all, and the web of lies you need to manage becomes increasingly more complex. Trust is something more valuable than money, and losing it closes off many opportunities.

"Let's not forget what my job is, Noire. My job is to help you perform yours to the best of your ability. It means having to play hardball when the time comes for it." I say, leaning back in my seat and weaving my fingers together. "I know what I'm doing."

"That's what scares me a little."

"If you're worried that I'm going to turn my talents on you, don't be. I have no intent on micromanaging you, other than making sure you attend your classes and keep to a schedule. I don't know the first thing about songs and dancing, as it is. There's no need for me to get involved. And excuse me for abruptly changing the topic, but it's important now that we are going to be involving Loudrex. Song progress?"

"I just need to finish the finale. I'll have it done within two days."

"Good. As for the musical composition behind it?"

"I got in contact with a friend who wrote something for it. Her name's 5pb."

"A strange name, but alright. If we have that, after we get a deal hammered out with Loudrex, we can start a recording and see how it feels. If it's all set, then I'd like to begin storyboarding your concert."

"Storyboarding?"

"It would be foolish for us just to have you get up on stage and sing. What we need is a _brand_. A brand that isn't just 'The CPU of Lastation, Noire'." I say, waving my finger around. "It will be hard to appeal in more than Lastation with just that kind of title. After all, MOB48 doesn't have a hold in just Lastation, yes?"

"That's true…"

"Therefore, I would like to develop your brand starting from the first concert. The kind of show you can bring to the world and the kind of idol you will be. All with your backing, of course. I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation and would like for you to be able to fully support the brand you want to put out to the world."

"Oh, that's… that's good." She says, nodding. "I haven't thought about the brand, really."

"It's okay, that's my job, after all."

"You don't seem worried about stepping on the toes of the other goddesses, though."

"Isn't that your job to deal with them? Besides, the explicit goal was to take back these shares from MOB48, right? How the shares will be reallocated after the job is done is up to all of you. I'm only accomplishing the objective I've been given."

I see Noire snort, shaking her head.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"I'm just surprised you aren't willing to step up. Isn't dealing with another goddess playing hardball?"

"I'm afraid it's outside the scope of my duties. Politics isn't really my game, after all. Besides, I lack the knowledge about your political history to understand how to talk with them." I say, giving a bit of a knowing smile. "And while I could learn, it would take away from my duties of being your producer."

"A good answer. Kei would be proud."

"I aim to please."

Fortunately, the ride after that is fairly pleasant, without the heavy atmosphere of before. When we get back, there's no one to greet us other than the receptionists, who seem to have taken a liking to me. They're quite devoted to Noire, but I have no reason to be dismissive of them. Besides, they keep the place cleaned up and are often able to assist me in finding documents I need, so I make it a point to be as kind and polite as I can to them.

"Ah, Takeo, Uni left you something as well."

"Oh, I see. Thank you."

I'm handed a packet of paper, which is nothing more than the homework I had assigned Lady Uni. I'll have to stay up late to grade it tonight.

"It seems she's quite the earnest learner. Is there anything she likes in particular?" I ask offhandedly.

"She seems very much to like firearms, but I would assume that she has everything she needs for them. She also takes a liking to robots."

"I see. Thank you."

"Were you thinking of getting her a gift?" Noire asks as I start looking through her answers.

"I don't think Uni would appreciate that from me, so I was going to have you give it to her. I'm not going to reward her just for turning in homework, but if she does exceptionally well, I see no reason to reward that kind of behavior, either."

"Takeo is a very harsh teacher, but he has a kinder side, doesn't he?" One of the workers asks Noire, who smirks at me.

"I do not consider myself harsh; I consider myself firm but fair." I say, waving my packet around. "There is no point to excessive cruelty, but coddling someone should they make a mistake is no good either. Anyways, thank you for giving this to me. I'll be sure to get it back to her soon."

"Don't stay up too late, Takeo. You've got a meeting with Kei tomorrow morning, right?" Noire asks as I start walking away.

"It's just one paper, it won't take long."

* * *

"I thought you said it wouldn't take long."

I turn my head, finding Noire in the doorway as I left the door open, dressed in her usual clothes.

"It's late, you should sleep." I say, getting a scowl from her as I turn my head back to my form. "Unless you're hitting the town, since you are in pajamas."

"I could say the same to you."

"Ah, but you see, I _am_ in my sleepwear." I say, gesturing in a very exaggerated manner to my simple black sweatpants and dark green plain t-shirt.

"Hmph. Are you working on Uni's homework?"

"No."

"Liar." She immediately accuses.

"I'm not lying, I'm working on a projected budget form so I can make it easy to submit to Kei after I negotiate our rates with Loudrex. I'd have preferred to finish it before the meeting, but grading Uni's homework took longer than I thought."

I pause, yawning, before I shake my head.

"Agghhh, though, I can understand how my college professors felt now."

"Did she make that many mistakes?"

"No, but I wanted to be thorough and point out where she can make improvements. Additionally, because it's good to establish resources to go to, I had to do some research and find some more good reference books. Unfortunately, you don't have the same library of books that I have available back home, so I have to reread things to understand what's a good reference book and what isn't."

"Get some sleep, Takeo." Noire says with a rather pointed tone.

"My coffee mug is still half full. I can finish tonight. Besides, I'm no stranger to all nighters. I wasn't always the most responsible when it came to term papers."

"Color me surprised."

"Ah, it was more making sure it was perfect. I would spend all-nighters perfecting it at the start, so I could sleep easily as the deadline approached. But, then I would think to myself, 'Ah, surely there was something I missed' when I would overhear classmates talking about their papers, and you can likely figure out how it played out."

"Yeesh, you workaholic."

"I don't think you can criticize me for that. Anyways, did you need something from me? It doesn't seem like you to just check up on me."

"Well, I… wanted to talk a bit. You seemed just a bit on edge earlier today."

"Are you sure it wasn't you being on edge around me?" I ask, putting my pen down. "I can understand if you're still worried. You've put a lot of faith in me and have delegated many duties to what will be a rather big undertaking. Knowing that I'm capable of manipulation and the like isn't exactly something that builds trust."

"Geez, you have no delicacy at _all_." Noire grumbles, giving an exaggerated shaking of her head and shoulder slump.

"It is late, so I would rather us _not _spend two hours dancing around the point." I say, taking my coffee mug and swirling it around. "This is the second time I've done something like this, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. First was convincing Uni to go against you by offering your resignation, and now this."

I make a mental note that it seems Noire hasn't discovered how I goaded Uni into coming to me afterwards, or at least she isn't taking action against it. We did part on amicable terms, I think, so while she probably doesn't _like_ me, she doesn't actively _dislike_ me either. That, and I've been pushing for her to be more with Noire which is sure to earn me some favor.

"It comes with marketing, I suppose. When you break it down, all I really do is convince people they want something. What that something is can vary, of course, but generally the aim is happiness for individuals." I say, inhaling the scent of coffee before downing the rest of the mug in one go. "I try not to do such drastic things, but when I'm cornered, I suppose I tend not to hold back or at least not as much."

"I don't think I want to see what you're capable of when you aren't holding back."

I don't think I'd like to see that either, I tell myself.

"I suppose it's difficult to take me at my word, when I say you can trust me."

"After today, yes. However."

Noire crosses her arms, sighing.

"We're partners, Takeo. You chose me and I accepted you as my producer. Plus, I've heard about your classes from Uni and the staff. I'm trusting you, so don't go ahead and break that trust. But no more surprises, got it!"

"There shouldn't be any more surprises from here on out, I assume. Like I said, it's when I get cornered that I do these things. I saw no way around Uni and I had to—"

"I know. I said I trust you. But the next time you get cornered, you don't have to do it alone. Kei and I are here, you know?" Noire then exhales deeply, her right hand on her hip. "Somehow, I feel like I've heard this from the others." She then points at me with an accusational finger. "So reflect on that, got it?! And go to bed already!"

"After I finish this form, which I was graciously working on be—"

"I got it, whatever! Just make sure you aren't late for tomorrow's meeting!"

"Yes, yes." I say, waving her off, the door slamming shut behind me. I can't help but sigh, leaning back in my seat and looking up at the ceiling.

"Ahh, geez, I've done it again."

I always end up doing _something_ rash, don't I? It always ends like this, somehow. I've only gotten lucky that these last two haven't blown up in my face.

Well, it's not like it always blows up in my face, but the rashest thing I ever did… I suppose it technically didn't explode in my face. It was more like a slow burn. Yet, I can't help but wonder if a more explosion-like fallout would've been better. At least the fallout would've been done and over with.

I click my pen, watching the point retreat back inside. There's no way I can finish this tonight, not in my current mental state. Noire agitated some bad memories that are still somewhat fresh, I'll be too unfocused. My work quality will suffer as a result, so I should stop.

Well, I can sleep earlier than intended. I'll just have to wake up earlier to compensate for it and get it done in the morning.

"What a mess." I say to no one in particular as I change the alarm on my phone for tomorrow. "But I guess knowing when to run away was one of your lessons, too."

Before I can put my phone down, it buzzes, with an email coming in. Ah, it seems that the fashion designer I've been looking into finally responded. I'll have to get Noire to visit them as well, as it seems they'd like to meet with us in person. Perfectly understandable, I suppose they'd like to know the client, and I'd like to evaluate their designs in person as well and see if Noire is comfortable with them.

Still though, I am rather curious about their moniker. Going only by the initials _A.D., _they've made quite a name for themselves online, especially in the world of fashion, elegance, and if I may use the term, being fabulous in general. I hope this one goes smoother than our meeting today. I still am rather confused by their gender though, their way of speaking is certainly quite feminine, but sometimes I can't help but imagine I'm speaking to a man. I'll chalk it up to the internet making things ambiguous. I suppose going by _A.D._ does hint at wanting some kind of anonymity.

Either way, all the basic pieces have been set. Loudrex Sound, Noire's idol career, her first single, Uni, all of it. All that's left is to navigate a successful path to the first live, come hell or high water.

* * *

**Ahhhhahahaha, took a little longer than expected to get this one out, but I hit a stroke of inspiration and managed to get it going.**

**Not much to say other than I slowly started building up a bit more mystery to Takeo. I thought this was another fun chapter where Noire and Takeo butt heads while also adding to their trials of trying to trust each other. I kind of liked having Takeo be someone who's technically honest, but still manipulative, at least not for malicious ends. Though, it kind of runs two ways, in that he doesn't trust in Noire's trust in him to make a good decision, which you can interpret as you like. You can also interpret Noire's remark that Takeo saw himself in Loudrex Sounds however you like as well.**

**One thing I'd like to ask about is if you guys mind me keeping the staff faceless. I could give them names, but I chose not to, in order to make them more background characters as the story focuses more on Noire, Takeo, and Uni's interactions and the friction between them. I'm fine actually fleshing them out as characters, but I think it's best to keep them more to the sidelines as sort of faceless NPC types, unless you guys think otherwise. I am willing to experiment, is all.**

**Either way, I did like Takeo and Noire trying to reconcile, and moreso with Noire being the one to instigate it, as Takeo's been the one who's taken the stance of "I do what I need to do" and tends not to apologize except for things he didn't intend for. Case in point, apologizing to Uni for hurting her more than he intended to and not actually for inflicting that kind of pain in the first place, and here not apologizing to Noire for having used emotional manipulation to get her to fully approve of Loudrex Sounds. It has made for a kind of fun character, as I think this kind of mentality will be amusing to put into scenarios down the line. Plus I think it reflects somewhat on Noire's maturity from her previous adventures, where she's learned on reaching out more.**

**Other than that, not much else to say. I hope you picked up on who **_**A.D.**_** is though, because if you did, then you know what's dropping next chapter, which is a scene I've been looking forward to. Catch you all then!**


End file.
